But for several reasons, Boehner won’t be same sort of albatross for Republicans. And Democrats don’t want him to be.

For starters, many Democrats like Boehner personally. He is seen as a moderate in his conference and has on recent occasions pushed through bills a majority of his members opposed and most Democrats supported -- the tax-raising fiscal cliff deal, Hurricane Sandy relief, and the Violence Against Women Act, for examples. Many believe Boehner earnestly wants to negotiate and reach compromises, but his conference won’t let him. Boehner is caught in the chaos of his own House.

“I think at end of the day, he’s a guy who wants to get stuff done, and they don’t see Boehner as Tea Party, right wing,” said one Democratic strategist. “He’s operating inside of a caucus that doesn’t want anyone to tell them what to do.”

Boehner's a good guy, if wrong on a bunch of stuff. I feel quite sorry for him, given the position he's in. Through little fault of his own, the dynamics of his caucus has rendered him the least effective, most powerless Speaker in generations.